John Barry

John Barry, born on July 3, 1935 and passing away on June 1, 1979, served as the production designer for the 1977 motion picture Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. In addition, he was a second unit director for Episode V The Empire Strikes Back.

Biography

The "Lash La Rue" scene, a concept conceived by John Barry and brought to life visually by Ralph McQuarrie

On August 1, 1975, the British production designer officially commenced his work on A New Hope. He secured rental space at Lee Electrics in London to construct a landspeeder and develop droid props in collaboration with John Stears. This endeavor began with a cardboard model of R2-D2 based on the illustrations of Ralph McQuarrie. Consequently, Barry collaborated with Kenny Baker, the actor portraying R2-D2, while director George Lucas visited the workshop around mid-August and gave his approval to the R2-D2 design.

Furthermore, while in London, John Barry oversaw Harry Lange from the production art department in the design of control panels. He also engaged in detailed discussions with Lucas concerning the sets. Barry acknowledged the director's keen interest in every facet of the filmmaking process. Although the production designer's personal preferences leaned towards the aesthetic of the 1968 film Barbarella, he grasped Lucas' vision for Star Wars, which emphasized an authentic, lived-in feel. On August 20, Barry, McQuarrie, and Lucas convened in the United States to deliberate further on the sets. McQuarrie recalled that Barry was introduced as the art director for the Star Wars project, despite Norman Reynolds ultimately assuming that role. According to McQuarrie, following approximately three days of discussions, Barry conceived the "Lash La Rue" scene, in which Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa would swing across a gap from a retracting bridge.

Subsequently, Barry went back to England to supervise the set construction. Realizing the scale of the production from the script and the limitations of the shooting stages, he informed producer Gary Kurtz that they required more than one film studio. As a result, Kurtz selected EMI Elstree and Shepperton Studios, with their freelance team effectively taking over the entirety of Elstree for the duration of the production. Barry, Reynolds, Kurtz, and Lucas conducted an inspection of Shepperton and its massive H Stage.

Following this, Barry and production manager Robert Watts journeyed to North Africa to scout locations. Later that year, Barry's art department budget experienced a sudden ten percent reduction due to Star Wars's difficulties with film studio 20th Century Fox, which compelled Lucas and Barry to revisit the script—which the director was developing into a fourth draft—and make efforts to cut expenses.

Two weeks into the filming of The Empire Strikes Back (May 31, 1979), he collapsed on set and was taken to the hospital when his temperature rose to 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius). He passed away at 2 a.m. on June 1 as a result of meningitis. His memorial service took place on June 11 at St. Paul's Church, Grove Road, London (located on the border of Hounslow and Chiswick). He was cremated that same day.

Sources

Notes and references

External links

  • John Barry at the Internet Movie Database

Appearances